A campaign has begun to turn Burbage into Leicestershires first plastic bag-free town.
Councillors hope to persuade shoppers and businesses to ditch disposable bags in favour of reusable ones.
The campaign is backed by both the borough council and Burbage Parish Council, which will encourage shopkeepers, market stall holders and other outlets to give customers bags made of cotton or jute.
These would be supplied for a small charge, though initially some of the eco-friendly bags would be free.
The campaign has been initiated by Councillor Sandra Francks, the borough councils executive member for refuse and recycling, and Councillor Ann Hall, who is a member of both councils.
They are concerned about the amount of waste going to landfill sites - which are diminishing - and the rising cost of sending waste to landfill.
Some towns have already banned plastic carrier bags, of which UK shoppers get through billions each year.
Coun Francks said: "We can all play a part in reducing harmful materials which find their way into landfill sites.
"Hopefully, in time, we can extend this to other parts of the borough."
Coun Hall said: "I would ask the people of Burbage to accept this challenge, aimed at reducing litter and waste going to landfill sites".
Plastic bags can take 1,000 years to biodegrade, cause litter problems and can be harmful to wildlife.
Lokesh Patel, of the Heart of England Co-operative Society, said: "We switched our carrier to the biodegradable bag years ago, but were encouraging people to switch to the Fairtrade cotton bags which we have in store."
Burbage mum Cori McGregor-Devlin said: "It is always something I mean to do, but I have a cupboard full of carrier bags. If you had to pay for your bag, maybe that would encourage me."
Resident Derek Shaw, 49, said: "Im all for it. Its good for the environment and no hardship for me.
"You have only got to look at the coastline to see where the plastic ends up, and it contributes to a lot of wildlife being lost. Recently a crow had to be put down as it got stuck in a tree and broke a leg trying to get free of plastic."
